DESSERTS.
Ginger cakes.
Take 2 pounds lard, 4 pounds sugar, and rub together. Then add 2 dozen eggs (3 at a time). Then put 4 ounces ginger in about 1 teaspoonful cinnamon, 1 pinch salt, 1 gallon molasses, 1½ ounces soda (3 heaping teaspoonfuls baking powder), 6 pounds flour. Make a cake dough. Slack so as to drop from a spoon. Put in 2 bake pans and bake 25 or 30 minutes till done.
Griddle cakes (for 20 men).
Take 3 pounds flour, 2 ounces baking powder, 1 ounce salt, 10 eggs, 1 can cream, 1 quart water. Mix to consistency of thick batter. Fry on cake griddle with griddle greased with bacon rind or grease.
Ginger snaps (for 100 men).
Take 16 pounds flour, 1 gallon molasses, 4 pounds sugar, 6 ounces powdered ginger, 5 ounces ammonia “for baker’s use,” 4 ounces baking soda, 2½ ounces salt, 2½ ounces powdered cinnamon. Cut with regular cutter. When about to put in the oven cover the tops of the cakes with a wet cloth. This will cause them to spread and present a fine appearance.
Rice cakes No. 1 (for 80 men).
Take 10 pounds rice flour, 2½ pounds granulated sugar, 2 pounds butter or lard, 8 ounces baking powder, 2 cans cream. Roll upon pastry board and shape into cakes with a cake cutter. Bake in a slow oven.
One dozen eggs added to above will make a fine appearance.
Cheap ice cream (for 40 men, 6 men to 1 quart ice cream).
Take 2 quarts milk, 5 pounds granulated sugar, 7 tablespoonfuls cornstarch, 5 cans evaporated cream or 3 quarts fresh milk, 4 ounces salt, 1 bottle flavoring extract. Boil the milk and cream, reserving ¼ cup of milk. Mix the sugar, cornstarch, and salt thoroly together, add cold milk to the sugar mixture, and when well mixt add the boiling milk, turn back the mixture into the double boiler, and cook 20 minutes. Stir constantly until smooth, and occasionally after that. Strain all, add more sugar if needed, and when cold add the flavoring. Freeze as usual. This may be increased by adding more sugar and cream. If the milk is boiled when the cornstarch is added and cooked thoroly there will be no taste of cornstarch. Cost, $1.03. Two dozen eggs may be added to enrich cream.
Lemon sherbet (for 40 men).
Take 25 lemons, 6 pounds granulated sugar, 8 quarts boiling water. Shave off peel from 12 lemons in thin wafer-like parings, being careful to take none of lighter-colored rind below the oil cells. Put paringsinto a bowl and add boiling water and let it stand 10 minutes closely covered. Cut the lemons in half, remove the seeds, squeeze out juice and add it, with sugar, to the water. If needed, add more sugar. When cold strain thru a fine strainer into can and freeze at once.
Orange sherbet (for 40 men).
Take 8 tablespoonfuls gelatin, 40 oranges or 8 pints orange juice, 7 pints cold water, 6 pounds granulated sugar, 3 pints boiling water. Soak the gelatin in 1 pint cold water. Cut the oranges in halves, remove the seeds and squeeze all the juice into a large pitcher or bowl. Add sugar to juice. Dissolve the gelatin in the boiling water and add all to mixture in pitcher. Strain all into a can and freeze. If oranges are very sour use more sugar.
Apple pie (for 20 men).
Take 2½ pounds stewed apples, season with cinnamon, juice of ½ lemon, and skin chopped fine. Crust: 4 pounds flour and 2 pounds lard.
Pumpkin pie (for 20 men).
Take 2 pumpkins and peel and cut in about 2 or 3-inch squares, cover with water and let boil about 1 hour. Drain off water and mash thoroly and add ½ pound butter or bacon grease, ¼ pound sugar. Season with nutmeg and cinnamon, and 1 ounce salt and 1 quart milk and 4 eggs beaten together. Set on stove and let come to a boil, then it is ready. Remove and let cool.
Stewed prunes (for 20 men).
Take 2 pounds prunes, set on stove with water to cover and let cook 2 hours, or till soft and well done. Flavor with 2 pounds sugar and serve cold.